Choosing an IT asset management software system that works for you and your company is similar to hiring a new person. You need to look at their resume, see what they can bring to the table to benefit the company, and if the software fits your team's needs on a daily basis. Because of this, you should have an understanding of what platforms are available and what they can offer you.
Requirements:
The first thing that you are going to want to do when deciding on an asset management system, is to decide what the requirements of the system that you need will be. Think about what are the biggest goals of your company.
A good asset management software should do the following:
- Be able to track assets based on user and location.
- Allow you to set assets to custom categories.
- Allow you to create role-based access user controls.
- Separate digital and fixed assets inventory.
- Alert you when you’re inventory is running low
- Alert you when an assets are not up-to-date
- Track asset depreciation.
- Include a mobile app.
- Include a feature for scheduled maintenance.
Next, you will need to decide if you are going to use barcodes to track your assets. Barcodes will allow you to quickly scan items with a barcode scanner. This will make certain tasks much faster such as performing inventory audits or checking out items to users.
If you go this route, you should attach asset ID tags and contact information to all of your devices. This way, if items get lost, people will know who to contact. Plus, with to common use of mobile phones in today's world, it is highly recommended to find an asset tracking app that uses a mobile app with a built-in barcode scanner.
Mobile app requirements should be:
- Barcode scanner built-in
- Check out asset to anyone
- Take pictures of assets
- Log device usage history
Additional Requirements:
Automating your system can be very beneficial and save you a lot of time. In asset tracking, you need to consider a platform that has automated features such as:
- Run automated reports
- Send alerts
- Send emails to people who don’t return equipment
- Automate user provisioning
- Automatically manage the state of the asset
These features are customized to the needs for specific cases.
One example would be, you want to run a report everyday about the missing assets from the previous week. Maybe you run a report about the depreciation of your equipment.
Good IT asset management systems give you the ability to do all of this through automation.
The task of managing assets can usually be done by a small team. However, what if you had a system that allowed the employees to see what assets are available and reserve those themselves? This would cut down on the time spent sending emails, or talking on the phone about what the employee needs. This would help with your company's asset utilization.
One of the last things to think about is integrations. In today's work environment, it is not hard to imagine companies having hundreds if not thousands of assets. This makes it imperative for your systems to be able to communicate. Along with this, think about the security of your systems. Having the ability to sync with a single sign-on(SSO) is a huge boost to data security.
Identify What Needs to be Tracked
Not every company needs to track the same information. Some are keeping track of physical assets, while others are more oriented towards the digital space. Some might have large product inventories, while others utilize a wide range of equipment to complete client jobs.
Whatever you need to track, get specific. Take some time to list out everything you’ll be tracking. Sure, it might take some time at first, but it’ll save you a huge amount of time once you configure your system.
You can also check out our ROI calculator to see how AdminRemix can benefit your company.
Identify Your Pain Points
There are many reasons to invest in an asset tracking system. But what do you hope to get out of it? Are you looking to save costs? Do you want employee accountability? Take a look at the advantages listed above and pick 2-3 that are most important for your business. Then identify some 'nice to haves', but not necessary.
Knowing what your company needs to prioritize will help you when you’re looking at several options.
Pinpoint Necessary Features
What do you need in an asset tracking system? Do you need a database you can access from any location? While many asset tracking options have similar features, some of them work better than others depending on what functionality you need.
If you’re having a hard time identifying what features you need, take a look at the ones listed above. Then compare them to the goals you chose in the previous step and see which features will best help you reach those goals.
Trial Platforms
Once you have decided upon the requirements you need, you have your assets and pain points identified, and pinpointed your necessary features, now you can sign up and trial an asset management system. Effective management of your assets needs to start with your entire team being on the same page. Let them all use the system that you are trying out to make sure that it is a fit for everyone.
If you are currently looking for a system to trial, check out AssetRemix. This system offers you the ability to manage up to 50 assets for free, and has a super user friendly platform. You are able to sign up here and does not require a credit card.
Always try out a product first so you can determine if it is a fit for you, your staff and your company.